Boozed-up Clipstone dad led cops on 114mph chase through city centre

Officers spotted Anthony Riley's Fiat Bravo travelling at "excessive speed" on the A60 Mansfield Road, at 2.35am, on August 31, 2020, said prosecutor Anthony Chung.

Police CCTV showed Riley speeding from the outskirts of Nottingham and into Radford, running red lights and veering onto the wrong side of the road.

When he reached Maid Marian Way he cut up another vehicle, and on Upper Parliament Street he travelled at 50mph over speed bumps.

The ten-minute chase ended when Riley hit a bollard and crashed into two parked vehicles near Lady Bay Bridge. A breath test revealed he had 79 mcgs of alcohol when the legal limit is 35 mcgs.

Nottingham Crown Court heard he has 26 previous convictions for 37 offences, and in 2016, he was jailed for nine months and received a three year ban for dangerous driving.

Mr Chung described how, on that occasion, Riley was being followed by police on London Road, in Nottingham, when he drove through a junction and overturned his car, knocking down a lamp post.

Riley’s most recent appearance in the magistrates’ court was for threatening behaviour and driving offences.

Errol Ballentyne, mitigating, said: "There is no argument that this crosses the custody threshold, but I would ask for the sentence to be suspended."

He said at the time Riley was feeling "totally inadequate and suicidal" following a house-fire which left his family in "inadequate" housing.

Days after the incident, the defendant self-referred for counselling to tackle his “coping issues linked to alcohol,” Mr Ballentyne said.

The court heard there was a realistic prospect of his rehabilitation and jailing him would have a negative impact on his family.

Riley, 31, of Forest Road, Clipstone, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, without insurance and with excess alcohol, when he appeared in court, on May 7.

On Thursday, Judge Richard Davis told him: “It's vaguely miraculous that no one was hurt.”

He sentenced Riley to 18 months, suspended for two years, with 20 rehabilitation days and a three-month curfew from 9pm to 5am. He was banned for three years and must take an extended re-test before he drives again.

Editor’s message: Support your Chad by becoming a digital subscriber. You will see 70 per cent fewer ads on stories, meaning faster load times and an overall enhanced user experience. Click here to subscribe.